Improvement in fruit and vegetable drier and bleacher



`2 Sheets-Sheetl.

G. W. HOPKINS. Fruit r11d Vegetable Driel and Bleacher.

No. 217,288.` Patented July 8,1879.

- gf. fw... 4 .jf/@ i aff MFETERS. PHOTCLLITHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. D.'C.`

2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

, G. W. H0PKINS. l Fruit and Vegetable Drier and Bleacher.

v40.211283. Patented July 8,1879..

N. PETERS, PMOTD-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON, u C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

GARRETT W. HOPKINS, OF

IMPROVEMENT IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE DRIER AND BLEACHER.

TEUMANSBUEG, NEW vonk.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,288, dated July 8, 1879; application filed April 7, 1879.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GARRETT W. HOPKINS, of Trumansburg, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Fruit and Vegetable Drier and Bleacher; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to tables, also in bleaching them 5 and the ob` ject thereof is "tot` construct a drying-house, with its several devices used to carry on the evaporating or drying process, in a manner that will secure the perfect drying of the fruit `or vegetables in a comparatively short space of time; also, in simplifying the construction of the bleaching device, as will be hereinafter described, and subsequently pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the drying-house, of any suitable form and size, provided with double wall a. At one Y side of the house A is placed a flue, B, counected at its lower end with a suitable furnace or heat-generating device. The upper end of the ue B connects with a short pipe, b, secured to a removable roof, C, said pipe communicating with the interior of the dryinghouse. A pipe, D, also communicates with the interior of the drying-house, and connects with a suitable chimney.

Upon the exterior of the drying-house are journaled horizontal shafts c d, to which are keyed pulleys e f. The outer end of the shaft c also carries a pulley, g, over which a belt or chain, j, passes to a pulley, h, upon a horizontal shaft fi. Over the pulleys e f pass chains lo, as does also a chain, n, over pulleys 'l m. These chains k n are provided with supports o for the trays E, said trays being of any suitable construction, and made either of perforated sheet metal or wire-gauze.

rIhe sides of the drying-house A have vertical recesses or gutters p for the chains to work in and assist in retaining them in their proper position while elevating the trays.

A damper, F, is placed near the bottom .of the drying-house, and is perforated to allow a portion of the heated air to pass through to the tray above it.

Above the damper F and trays E, and near the top of the drying-house A, is another damper, Gr, without perforations, so that the moist air at that point will be thrown into the the duct H it passes out through openings at the top of the duct into the drying-house above the damper G and thence into the flue. Both the dampers F G are withdrawn and replaced with every putting in of a fresh tray of fruit or vegetables, the tray of fresh fruit or vegetables being inserted through the opening 1' and placed on the supports t, the tray remaining a sufficient length of time to allow the fruit or vegetables thereon "to be sufficiently dried, when the dampers F G are withdrawn and the tray caught up by the supports o upon the moving chains and carried a sufficient height to allow the introduction of a tray of fresh fruit or vegetables, after which the dampers are again inserted and the drying process is continued.

It must be recollected, however, that while a new tray is inserted at the bottom of the drying-house the upper tray, with its supply of fruit or vegetables thoroughly' dried, is removed through the opening or space closed by the door I. The lower damper, F, which is inserted or removed through an opening, r, closed bya door, s, causes the current of heated air passing through the tra'y below the damper to be deflected downward and over the fruit or vegetables upon the tray, thereby dryiu g th em as thoroughly upon the top as on the bottom.

rEhe drying-house A is provided with a concave perforated licor, J, to admit the hot air, and has secured to its upper side a convex cap, K, forming a space in which loose sand is placed to equalize the temperature, and that portion of the floor J under the cap is made back space or duct H. After the air entersv solid to hold the loose sand, the cap K actingl as aradiator for the heat passing'from the sand.

Under the bottom of the floor J is a pan,

L, provided With a suitable handle, u, passing out through the Wall of the drying-house. The

Apan L is for containing the sulphur, which is kept melted during the process of bleaching the fruitor vegetables, and'by inserting a hot bar of iron in the sulphur the latter is vaporized.

When it is desired to extinguish the burning sulphur the pan L is raised, so that the cylindrical hollow plug M secured to the under side of the floor J will enter it, thereby shutting` ofi or smothering the rising vapor.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The drying-house A, having duct H, ue B, and the chains and pulleys for elevating the trays, in combination with the roof C and pipes D b, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the movable trays E with the perforated damper F and damper Gr, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

The drying-house A, having duct H, flue B, and roof C, With pipes D b, in combination with the movable trays E and daxnpers F G, substantially as and for the purpose described .4

4. The drying-house A, having concave perforated floor J and perforated cap K, and hav-- ing between the same a filling of loose sand, substantiallyr as and for the purpose set forth.4

5. The drying-house A, licor J, having thehollow plug4 M, in combination with the pan L, with a suitable handle, u, substantially as: and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

DAN G. CLARK, JAMES H. SMITH. 

